Ghost Sweeper Mikami

[DB]

Here's a more upbeat review. GHS is an older series from the early 90s. It's an action/humor oriented series that's pretty much monster of the week style format.

Our title character is the attractive Ghost Sweeper (exorcist) Reika Mikami.  She tends to go into battle wearing a skimpy cocktail dress and is quite competent, but not grossly overpowered.  Greedy to the extreme, she charges millions for her services, doesn't do freebies, and pays her employees 250 yen a day.

Her co protagonist is Tadao Yokoshima, her pack-mule/comic relief/bait. Don't feel to sorry for him, though, he's a lech who wants the ladies (but never gets them), but that doesn't keep him from plugging away.  He does occasionally get to see naked and sometiems grope his lovely employer, which keeps him going no matter the abuse.

The third regular is Okinu, a spirit who's been bound to the earth for so long she no longer remembers how to rest in peace, even when her curse is lifted. She's happily working up enough money to have Mikami pay for her exorcism, which should only take several hundred years.  She's flighty, easily frightened, and is constantly reassuring Tadao that dying it's so bad, since she can teach him all she knows about being a ghost.

There's actually a large supporting cast of rivals and friends that drop by every few episodes as well, but keep things on the fresh side.

As to the series itself, it's simple in execution, but the humor works for me.  Mikami's avarice is always played up, but she's basically a good person inside, and while Tadao takes abuse, much like Ataru, he has a healthy portion of  it coming. While there have been other anime with similar themes (Phantom Quest Corp. and it's like) this series doesn't make the mistake of trying to take itself seriously. Or make the girls too bouncy.

While 45 episodes and a licensed movie exist, only 7 of the eps have been translated to date. But what's there is enjoyable in a light humorous sort of way. Since this one worked for me, I give it a 6 out of 10.  Not sure how rewatchable it is, but it's definitely worth watching once if you have time to kill.

[Kwokinator]

Although not anime-related, I would like to note that the manga is only about a million times better than the anime ^_^

The anime doesn't animate nearly enough of the manga (not even ten olumes out of 38).  As a result, it only animates the early episodic stories of the early manga.  Although most of the manga is still episodic, IIRC they didn't animate the best arcs in the manga ^_^

That and the anime has Yokoshima as little more than comic relief.  At moments in the manga he is actually DAMN cool ^_^

Although the anime is good in its own right, if you like the anime I HIGHLY recommend the manga if you haven't read it.  It's like, the difference between the anime and manga version of Psychic Academy.  Only the GS Mikami manga is GOOD.  Very good ^_^

Don't ask me where scanlations may be found though, I know they exist, but not where ^_^;

[Edward]

Although not anime-related, I would like to note that the manga is only about a million times better than the anime ^_^

Don't ask me where scanlations may be found though, I know they exist, but not where ^_^;

Thanks for the info.  *Stabs Kwok for not knowing where to get the manga.*

And thanks for the review, DB.